Operations at the Three Gorges Dam, China's water conservancy project on the Yangtze River, was not affected despite Monday's quake. In the dam area, about 1,000 km from the epicentre, the quake measured about 4. The dam was designed to withstand quakes up to 7 on the Richter Scale, said a spokesman with China Three Gorges Project Corporation.

The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) on Sunday severely criticised what it called the theft of 8,000 cusec of Sindh's share in water through lift machines and demanded that the practice be stopped immediately. The chamber, which met here under its president Syed Qamaruzzaman Shah, demanded that Sindh should get supplied 74,400 cusec water from Taunsa Link Canal in accordance with 1991 water accord. Sindh, at present was receiving 61,000 cusec water from Chashma Link Canal of which 12,000 cusec went to Balochistan whose share was included in Sindh's share, the meeting said.

Arunahcal Pradesh is awarding hydroelectric projects to private companies at the breakneck speed of one every nine days without proper scrutiny. A report by Arnab Pratim Dutta Once you reach Lower Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh, you know you have stepped into the shadowy side of "shining" India -the cell phone stops catching signals, the roads are worn out and the electricity supply, erratic. If you drive 40 km out of its district headquarters Roing to Nizam Ghat and then trek for three hours in Mishmi hills, you will reach Pather Camp, a nowhere destination in absolute wilderness.

Cauvery delta farmers have urged Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi to release Mettur water for irrigation on June 1, instead of the usual June 12. In a representation, vice-president of the Cauvery Delta Farmers' Welfare Association K.V. Kannan said in view of comfortable storage position, the government could consider the request. If water were released on June 1, farmers could harvest bumper kuruvai crop well ahead of the northeast monsoon.

SHILLONG

Provincial Minister Syed Ali Mardan Shah, terming the irrigation water scarcity in District Umerkot as artificial and created by some vested interests, has vowed to take all possible measures to remove the shortage. He was speaking at a big public gathering at Town Hall, Umerkot after his arrival there following his induction as the provincial minister.

Provincial minister without portfolio, Syed Ali Mardan Shah, has blamed vested interests and corrupt officials of Irrigation Department for

Shortage of water rendered most of the farmers unable to sow cotton at the most appropriate time, said District Council members during Wednesday's session. They deplored the daily seven to 10 hours of load-shedding as this was taking toll on the physical, psychological and financial status of Hesco consumers.

The falling water level in reservoirs indicates the impending power crisis and uncomfortable summer for people in Punjab . The decade's lowest water levels in the Bhakra-Beas Management Board (BBMB)-managed Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar Dam reservoirs this time have caused concern among the state's power circles resulting in considerable loss of power generation in all BBMB-managed projects. This has also led to the dwindling of BBMB's share in Punjab's power kitty from the usual 175 lakh to 200 lakh units to an estimated 105 lakh units this time.